Minister for Kolkata forgets Mumbai

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee built on her reputation for actually being minister for Kolkata, as Mumbai was crippled by a strike by railway motormen whose demands her ministry ignored for over six months.
Banerjee parked herself in the West Bengal capital on Tuesday finalising her part

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee built on her reputation for actually being minister for Kolkata, as Mumbai was crippled by a strike by railway motormen whose demands her ministry ignored for over six months.

Banerjee parked herself in the West Bengal capital on Tuesday finalising her party's candidates for the upcoming Kolkata municipal polls while Mumbai's lifeline, the local trains, were blocked by angry railway men whose notice for a strike was ignored.

The joint action forum of railway motormen and loco running staff had given notice for a hunger strike from May 3, but the railway minister apparently did not consider it an issue worth her attention.

The result of Banerjee's preoccupation with provincial politics while being in charge of a crucial Union ministry was a two-day strike that affected movement in India's financial capital, caused tremendous hardship to 65 lakh passengers, resulted in losses to the exchequer and a spate of adjournments of the Lok Sabha.

Desperate to get a grip on the situation, the government invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) on the strikers, but this attracted criticism from Opposition MPs in Parliament.

The disquiet in the Congress over Banerjee's frequent absence from Delhi and her ministry was evident, though party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan backed her during a media briefing. Congress members were secretly critical of their ally for "refusing to take her portfolio seriously".

A senior Congress leader who did not want to be named, said," Mamata Banerjee is West Bengal's chief minister- in- waiting. She is not bothered about the rest of the country." The joint action forum of the striking railway motormen had, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, detailed their grievances.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) is understood to have referred the matter to the railway ministry.

Sources said the railway minister did not take up the matter proactively to avert a possible strike by the unions. The Railway Board had set up a fast- track committee to address the issue, but it did not file its report in April as promised.

N. B. Dutta, joint secretary general of the forum said the talks held with the ministry had been in vain.

Members of her Trinamool Congress were not embarrassed by the minister's absence from work when a railway employees' strike had nearly brought Mumbai to a grinding halt.

Explaining that Banerjee was "pro-people", Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay told the Lok Sabha that the minister could not come to the House because she was busy finalising the nominations of party members for the civic polls.

In fact, far from being apologetic about Banerjee's absence, Bandyopadhyay went on the offensive against the Opposition.

He even used unparliamentary language against CPM member Basudeb Acharia during an acrimonious exchange that nearly led to fisticuffs. Stunned union ministers Ambika Soni and Pawan Bansal and a few Congressmen were seen stopping the warring members. Speaker Meira Kumar then adjourned the House.

Later, the CPM and the BJP demanded an apology from Bandopadhyay. CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury said unless the Trinamool member apologised to Acharia the party would not allow the House to function.

As harried Maharashtra and Central government officials finally got to work, parliamentarians decided to take the absentee minister to task. The Lok Sabha erupted as soon as it assembled with the Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Left parties demanding a statement Banerjee.

The MPs questioned why, after having procrastinated for six months, the government had invoked ESMA against the agitating employees.

CPI leader Gurudas Das Gupta asked, "Who has given the order to impose ESMA on the agitating workers in Mumbai? ESMA will not be tolerated."

Shiv Sena leader Anant Geete, after a protest by party MPs, said, "Mumbai is paralysed. The city is on the verge of a riot.

Life should be brought to normal in the city immediately." Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, meanwhile, got in touch with Banerjee and discussed the matter with finance minister and leader of Lok Sabha, Pranab Mukherjee. Bansal tried to calm feathers by replying in the House.

Meanwhile, minister of state for railways K. H. Muniyappa made a statement in the din. He said the joint action forum of motormen was not affiliated to any of the recognised federations, unions or associations of the railways.

"On account of disruption of suburban trains services on May 3, fresh conciliation proceedings are taking place today, i. e. May 4," he said.

The railway ministry said the motormen were demanding higher pay than recommended by the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

The ministry claimed some demands had been met.

The strike was called off by the agitating motormen after the authorities assured them that their demands would be addressed by June 15.

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